


Thoughts of an Amnesiac

by Telemathene



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Does that make sense?, Gen, a passive voice vs active voice study, focused on things happening around link rather than "he noticed this. he noticed that.", i wanted to practice my writing, make it more actiony instead of writing it out like a newspaper, nothing major tho, there is some swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:41:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25276336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Telemathene/pseuds/Telemathene
Summary: A visual/sensory descriptions study using the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild tutorial. Tried to explore the land of Hyrule and expand upon Link's character. 2nd POV. Is SFW, no archival warnings, and no pairings.
Kudos: 4





	Thoughts of an Amnesiac

Black.

You see black.

A woman's voice comes at both a whisper and a call at the same time. You don't recognize what she is saying, but you do know it's a jumble of concern and sopranos.

A small light, however golden, appears in your mind. You aren't scared of it, nor are you particularly excited to see it. You know you have been surrounded by quiet, surrounded by black for a long time... a very long time. Too long.

"Link," the same woman says, this time louder.

Link? Who is Link? Wait... You know something. You know this voice. You know this soprano voice. Why is she familiar to you? Where is she from? Where did you two meet?

The woman's voice is reassuring now. You can almost picture her reassuring smile as she speaks, "Open your eyes."

Is her smile golden, like the light in your mind? You think so, because she sounds like the wind rustling through the trees on a sunny day. She sounds like a gentle breeze of dandelions. She sounds like the laughter of children at play. She sounds like hope, like good. It's a shame you don't remember who she is. You wouldn't forget a voice as pretty as her's so easily. You know you wouldn't.

And yet... why don't you remember her?

And yet... where are you from?

And yet... who are _you_?

The golden light is unbearable now, and you know what you have to do.

Unwittingly, you open your eyes...

and immediately close them, because not far above you is a blinding blue light, and you _know_ it's not worth it to get a second moment of blindness.

"Wake up, Link."

"Five minutes." Your voice comes at a moan, hoarse after not being used for a while.

"Wake up, Link," the woman repeats again.

"Please?"

"Wake up, Link."

"No."

"Wake up, Link."

"I said no."

"Wake up, Link." Her voice is firmer than ever, and this time you know you have to pay heed to her words.

You do as she says and open your eyes. To your relief, the blue light above isn't as bright as it was before; in fact, it's quite dim. You're lying in a bed of warm water, water that is shining with white crystals despite how dark the rest of the room is and smells of the sea. Despite having been submerged in water, your skin isn't resembling a hearty durian, which you find unsettling. In fact, you can tell that your skin - every inch that you can see of it, aside from what's hidden by the only article of clothing you're wearing: your boxers - looks polished and radiant, and you know it hasn't looked like that in a long time. Looking around the room, you notice it bare and dark, but just in the corner, almost overlooked, is a pedestal of pulsing blue light, with markings that match the light above your head.

"Is this...?" Your voice fails you, but curiosity does pique your interest. Obviously, there is a connection here.

You climb out of your bed of water, instantly regretting doing so because almost immediately, the water is drained at the bottom of your bed. You restrain yourself from jumping back in, pretending nothing happened and returning to the comfortable darkness. Instead, you remind yourself to keep moving. You're already committed, at least. And at least you're not shivering in your underwear. The salty water was warm, but the air here feels cool and reminds you of late summer pine needles. Still, a shirt would be nice. Your footsteps echo as you make your way to the strange blue pedestal.

You approach the pedestal, which this time is presenting a thin, miniature box with a side handle to you. The box is decorated in runes similar to the blue machine and the blue light above your bed, and in the middle of the box shines an illuminating blue eye. There is no doubt in your mind the objects in this room are all related.

The woman's voice from your dream comes like clockwork, gentler this time yet still firm. "That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it," she prompts. "It will help guide you after your long slumber."

Long slumber. Well, she did have a point. You're tempted once again to finish your long slumber, but you can't do that now that the water is gone. In fact, the bed looks uncomfortable to you in its empty form. Uncomfortable, hard, and cold.

Reluctantly, you take the glowing box by the handle and wrap your other hand around the opposite side of the box. You have never seen or held this object before, and yet... this seems natural to you.

You curiously turn the box around in your hands. What is it? Why is it here? What is it to you? Your head is brimming with questions, but they are all replaced with shock when the surface of the box glows with an identical symbol of the eye on the back and sounds briefly a tune you have committed to heart. At least, you _think_ you have it committed to heart. A long time ago, you know it was. Now, it seems like a forgotten memory... Maybe because it is.

Whatever that box is to you, you aren't sure. You aren't left time to ponder about it either, because immediately after the box has finished glowing that mysterious blue eye on the front, the entire room starts to shake.

Your surprise betrays you as you exclaim, "Fucking hell!" Instinctively, you clip the handle of the box to the belt loops on your boxers to keep it secure. You let yourself cling to the machine stand you'd received your box from to keep yourself from falling over. Just as you think the shaking is never going to stop, the wall in front of you begins to screech with the sounds of rusted gears. The top slowly falls away to reveal the distant shape of a doorway, and when the last seal is parted, the shaking stops. Dust scatters around the room, and you breathe a sigh of relief, coughing to clear your throat.

"What is this?" you yell, praying that your instructor will tell you.

The woman does not answer.

You try again. "Why am I here?"

Silence.

You curse her name to the Goddess under your breath and make your way to the only answer you have received thus far: the strange door opening, which really is just an extension of the room you found yourself in. An extension in the form of a dim hallway with blue lights now that you see it, a hallway lined with barrels and chests with rewards and objects in them, hidden for you to - . Wait, what? How do you know this?

You know you don't know this. You shouldn't know this. You don't know anything **(A/N: Same.)**. You only woke up!

Approaching the chests, you kick them to open them up, kneel, and unlock them in a fluid motion. It may very well be second nature to you at this point. In one chest, you find a torn shirt. It is plain and covered in dirt at the hem. Its needlework leaves plenty to be desired since you can see that some strings are coming out, and the sleeves are much smaller than they are supposed to be. The trousers and boots you find are in the same conditions, but you are grateful for the belt that comes with it.

Regardless, you put the rags on anyway. You aren't particularly prude or too self-confident, but it does feel nice to be wearing clothing, even if they aren't in the best condition. Strangely, you can hear the distant rustle of tree leaves outside, and the smell of pine needles is stronger this time. It's definitely an early autumn this year. You'd have to reach the village for a warm coat, something proper for the incoming --

Wait, what village? Warm coat? Yes, it makes sense that you'd need to keep warm soon, but the village? How did you know that?

You shake your head. It's of no matter wondering about what you can't remember.

Like the last room, this one is dim, even including a second pedestal covered in similar glowing markings. You abandon the chests and approach the pedestal. The Sheikah Slate at your belt begins to light up in a similar fashion.

The woman's words catch you off-guard, and you put a hand against the wall to steady yourself: "Hold the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal. That will show you the way."

"Don't give any warnings, do you?" you mutter under your breath.

Not having any other option to leave this dark, mysterious area filled with glowing symbols, you comply. You grab the Sheikah Slate and just barely hover it over the pedestal before it lights up.

"Authenticating," it beeps out.

Out of fright, you step back from the strange contraption. You hadn't expected it to _talk_! Somehow, you know you're familiar with technology like this, but not with technology of this caliber. Perhaps in their early stages when they were being studied but not when you have to work with them yourself. You were more of a follower, anyway. Something along the lines of a protector, or maybe a soldier... Your memory may have been wiped, but you knew you definitely weren't something of a scientist.

The machine pauses for a moment, then calls out: "Sheikah Slate confirmed."

A bright blue eye identical to the one on your Sheikah Slate lights up on the wall by the pedestal, and, once more, the entire room begins to shake. This time, you're prepared for it, however not experienced. You clip the Sheikah Slate to your belt once more, steady yourself against the wall, and wait until the last of the seals on the wall is opened.

The shaking stops, and the first thing you notice is the breeze blowing in from outside. It's a particularly cold one, too, and you rub your arms in return. Your instincts from before were right. Maybe stopping by at that village was good for something warmer.

You open your eyes, immediately blinded by the light. It's about the last of the rays of the setting sun, but you feel as if it's been years since you've seen something still so... bright. It feels like the blazing fires of the Goddess after the dark rooms you'd walked through. You put up a hand to shade your eyes as you approach the doorway, and for the first time you notice how _pale_ your skin is in the light. However long you were in here, it did not do you many favors.

A shudder goes through you at the thought, and you put your arm at your side again, trying to focus on what's ahead. Luckily for you, the light doesn't hurt your eyes anymore, and you can make out a stairwell lined in sand and snow and a boulder at the top of the stairs. Relieved, you head up to them...

But before you can reach the stairs, the woman's voice calls out again: "Link..." she begins. "You are the light - our light - that must shine upon Hyrule once again." A pause, then a somber: "Now go."

Link. She had said that so many times now... is it a code to the pedestals? The Sheikah Slate? A command? Or is it a name? _Your_ name?

And Hyrule. A place. Was Hyrule the village you thought of before? The woman's voice was sad when she mentioned Hyrule. Have you failed Hyrule before?

You're reeling with questions about yourself, and the woman, and Link, and Hyrule... but either way, you don't have many answers just standing here. You ascend the stairs, splash through some gathered rainwater, and climb over the boulder. Your body reacts naturally, and you find yourself grabbing at handholds and planning ahead for the next reach. You push yourself up the final hold and face the last of the stairwell that fades into the dirt. Past that, a couple branches of pine trees sway in the wind outside, and you hear the chirping of both crickets and birds.

You step out from the chambers you'd woken up in, breathing in the fresh air. Each inhale feels like ice in your chest but you relish it. You know you were laying in that room for far too long, so it feels good to get out into the world again, despite it being both familiar and unfamiliar. Running your hands through the overgrown grasses, you take in the edge of the cliff in front of you overlooking woods, valleys, mountains, and, in the far distance, a castle. It seems as if the chambers you had slept in were constructed straight from one of these many mountains... and right then and there, you thank the Goddess for your skills in climbing because those mountains did not appear to have paths leading up them.

To your right, the cliff descends into the forest below. An old, ruined structure sits by the edge of the forest, along with a silhouette of an old, tattered man sitting at a campfire. This man had to have some knowledge on this area... or maybe knows about Hyrule, not to mention a village for warmer clothing... The Goddess definitely knows you don't.

It's not much, but it's better than relying on a woman's voice who appears only when she wants to.

You swear to the Goddess that you can hear the man chuckle at that thought, and he raises an arm at you in greeting. You wave back to him, grateful for company that isn't just the woman's voice.

"That man should know the lay of the land," you tell yourself. You eye your surroundings one last time before you make your decision: "It's a Breath of the Wild."

And so, you begin your journey to the ancient man hunched over a campfire.

**Author's Note:**

> Like the tags say, I wanted to practice my active voice and used the Breath of the Wild tutorial as my study. I tried to focus more on what happened around Link and how he interacts with the environment rather than saying just the passive voice "He noticed this. He noticed that." I wanted to limit my passive newspaper tone. I also used 2nd POV to better reflect the game's view on Link and the player. In a way, YOU are the one experiencing the game and running through the live, interactive world. I hope you enjoyed! Take care out there! :)


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